Jenson Button expects earlier decision on McLaren future

Button says he's spoken to Ron Dennis and been assured his future will be resolved earlier than it was last year; Lewis Hamilton says his old team should retain Jenson

Jenson Button doesn't believe he will have to endure as long a wait to learn about his McLaren future as last year.

The 2009 world champion didn't find out that he was being retained by the Woking team for 2015 until two weeks before Christmas and, just nine months on, the 35-year-old again finds himself at the centre of driver market speculation as this season approaches its final two months.

Although announced on a two-year deal last December, the second year is an option on McLaren's side and the Woking outfit, currently languishing in ninth place in the Constructors' Championship after a dismal start to their reunion with Honda, have to weigh up whether to keep Button for another year or place one of their two young drivers, tester Kevin Magnussen or GP2 title leader Stoffel Vandoorne, alongside Fernando Alonso.

  

Button, who appears likely to call time on his 16-season F1 career should he not be kept on with top-line seats elsewhere locked out, has been assured that the decision will be made earlier this time.

"I think the whole team understanding [is] that we shouldn't have waited that long last year, whichever way it was going to go," Button was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

"That won't happen again. That is one thing we have talked about, Ron [Dennis] and myself, but we've not gone into any details at all. I will know more in a couple of weeks."

Speaking in Friday's team bosses' press conference at Monza, McLaren racing director Eric Boullier suggested that, as things stand, their 'intention' is to retain a Button/Alonso pairing – but made clear they are keen for both Magnussen and Vandoorne to be on the grid too. Magnussen himself toldsports6news  F1 on Friday that it is vital for his career that he is racing in F1 again after spending this year on the subs bench.

"We have two world champions today and we do intend to keep them, so far," Boullier said.

"Nevertheless it's a luxury problem to have four good drivers and we will do obviously… Kevin and Stoffel are very good drivers, both of them we expect to race Formula 1 but if we can't fit or accommodate them at home we will do our best to make sure they can race next year."

Button's case for a renewal has been backed by his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who thinks his compatriot's experience remains invaluable given McLaren's continued struggles.

 

"He is one of the greatest that we have here and I think experience still stands for enough," said Hamilton. "That team needs direction and that team needs a lot of help and they are going to need those two drivers during that period.

"If they had two young guns I don't know if they would progress as much as they would with someone who has so much knowledge of the car and the team, and who helps motivate the team."

Recent reports have suggested that financial considerations could sway McLaren's decision, with the team set to take a significant hit in prize money and Button, as a former world champion and 15-time race winner, considerably more expensive than either Magnussen or Vandoorne.